Myanmar floods affect 30,000 amid conflict, threatening food security

Severe flooding has impacted at least 30,000 residents in Myanmar's Ayeyarwady region, submerging villages and farmland. The crisis is compounded by ongoing armed conflict, fuel shortages, and crop losses, intensifying threats to livelihoods and food security.

The epicenter of the disaster is Lemyethna township, where the Ngawun River embankment gave way on the night of July 30. While authorities attribute the breach to heavy rainfall and erosion, some residents point to the embankment's poor condition, weakened by pests and a lack of maintenance.

Relief efforts are significantly hampered by the volatile situation. Years of conflict and natural disasters have made communities resilient, but the current flooding presents new obstacles. Access to the flood zone is restricted by government security forces, forcing aid groups to operate from a nearby monastery before distributing supplies.

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We are really hurting inside. As for livestock, some are dying due to the weather. Cattle and buffaloes are now living out in the rain and hot sun. The whole village is facing difficulties. When rescuers and donors arrived, we felt joy in our hearts.

Some communities in Lemyethna remain difficult to reach, despite urgent needs for food and essentials. The township is also sheltering internally displaced people who fled earlier fighting. They face immense hardship, with their meager possessions now submerged.

The flooding poses a significant threat to Ayeyarwady, known as Myanmar's rice bowl. Farmers were already struggling with fuel shortages, which increased the cost of cultivating and harvesting crops. The floods have delivered another devastating blow to the agricultural sector.

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I have no words to describe the hardship I’m going through. Whatever little we could bring with us while fleeing the war, we brought along. But now everything is submerged in the flood.